Rotorua's Mayor says cracking down on illegal trolley use - is not an attack on homeless people

Police launched Operation Trolley last week, after complaints homeless people with shopping carts were intimidating the public.

Officers arrested 13 people, gave out 19 trespass notices - and returned 45 trolleys to stores.

Te Pati Maori has called it an attack on impoverished people, but Mayor Tania Tapsell says that's ridiculous.

She says they're incredibly grateful for the Police actioning this, and in the past they've tried to - at a cost of five-thousand dollars a month.